Marcos Llorente has had enough of dodging the question. Days after photos from an Ibiza getaway with Spain teammate Ferran Torres went viral — one frame showing Torres kissing the Atlético Madrid man on the cheek mid-hug — Llorente used an Instagram question-and-answer session to address the speculation head-on.
"It surprises me that in 2026 there's still debate about two men showing each other affection," he wrote, responding to a follower who asked why the pictures had caused such a stir.
He didn't stop there. "For me, there's nothing more masculine than a man who is confident in himself, who isn't afraid to show affection to a friend," Llorente added, turning the online chatter back on itself.
The photos were taken during a group holiday on the Balearic island shortly after Spain's 2026 World Cup triumph, when several members of Luis de la Fuente's squad went away together to unwind. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final on July 19, with Torres himself scoring the winning goal in the 106th minute.
Images of the trip, showing Llorente and Torres unusually close and affectionate on camera, quickly racked up millions of views and split opinion online. Some users speculated about a romantic relationship; others, as several Spanish outlets and Israel's Mako noted, pointed out that close physical affection between male friends is simply more culturally accepted in Spain than the reaction suggested.
Llorente is married to Patricia Noarbe, known widely as Paddy, an influencer with a large following of her own; the couple have a young daughter. Mako reported there is no indication or statement suggesting Torres is gay, and noted the Barcelona forward had recently split from influencer Martina Alegro before Spain's World Cup semi-final.
Rather than laugh the moment off or ignore it, Llorente chose to engage directly — and pointedly reframed the story as one about comfort with masculinity rather than anyone's sexuality.
For two players who were central to a European champion's World Cup run just weeks ago, the episode is a reminder of how closely footballers' private lives are scrutinised the moment the tournament trophy is lifted.
